Lionel plays All The Hits and more at Meadow concert
Okay, it rained, as it always seems to whenever Shrewsbury Town Football Club hosts a concert, but it mattered not one bit as Lionel Richie, ever the showman, delivered a night to remember.
Just like when Sir Elton John and Sir Rod Stewart visited Shrewsbury, the heavens opened, raining non-stop almost as soon as global superstar Richie arrived on stage.
But the show most definitely went on as the legendary Richie, who will celebrate his 69th birthday next week, delighted the Montgomery Waters Meadow crowd.
"On my calendar, this was supposed to be a summer concert," Richie joked. "I don't want to tell you, but there's nothing summer about this!"
Despite the weather, Richie clearly enjoyed himself, and so, most certainly, did the excited fans, who made their way along Oteley Road as the American icon's All The Hits UK Summer Tour rolled into Shrewsbury.
Anastacia opened the night's entertainment, warming up the crowd perfectly with a spellbinding set, with the highlights her best known hits I’m Outta Love and Left Outside Alone.
She also included a cover of the Bon Jovi classic You Give Love a Bad Name, which perfectly showcased her distinctive powerful voice.
Then shortly after 8.30pm came the moment thousands of Lionel Richie fans had been waiting for as one of the most recognisable faces - and voices - in the music world, dressed all in white, walked on to the stage constructed in front of the away stand, to huge cheers.
He immediately sat down at the piano and launched into Easy, the much loved and biggest selling hit for the Commodores, the band which propelled Richie into the spotlight.
He immediately upped the tempo with Running With The Night - and the hits just kept coming.
How the crowd, which Richie built a real rapport with in between songs, loved it as they happily sang along to every word of Penny Lover, Stuck on You, My Destiny and Say You, Say Me.
Three Times a Lady was a delight, as was Endless Love: "For 37 years, I have asked Miss Diana Ross to join me on stage to sing Endless Love - for 37 years, she has said........ no," Richie joked with the audience before asking them to stand in for her.
The classic Hello, followed by Dancing on the Ceiling, were cues for another mass sing-a-long and then came We Are the World, the 1985 anthem Richie wrote with his dear friend Michael Jackson.
As the relentless rain continued to fall, Richie smiled: "This brings a whole new meaning to singing in the rain!"
There was still time for a quick change of jacket, to sequinned blue this time, for Richie to sign off with the classic All Night Long.
It had been a brilliant night - with Richie's star quality, on a wet Shropshire evening, shining through from start to finish.
He will certainly be a hard act to follow whoever takes to the stage next at the Montgomery Waters Meadow.
Shrewsbury Town would like to thank Lionel, Anastasia and all at Marshall Arts for such a historic evening.